Whilst it is noted that a lot of people have not yet received their BPS payment for 2015, if you are one of the claimants that have please be aware of the actions of fraudsters this time of year that have been attempted previously to access your payments.
Carys Studley of Rostons comments that the likely action is to come from suspicious calls, texts or emails and given that the recipient’s names and amounts people are paid is information which can be obtained, it is an easy way for any fraudster to target you directly and more importantly sound genuine.
If you receive a call or message that you believe may be suspicious we recommend that you must hang up the phone and do not reply directly.
If you do have such a call it is recommended that you wait some time after them calling (ideally at least 5 minutes) and ring your bank to alert them to the scam. Ensure you always use the phone number you trust.
In recent year’s scams such as callers suggesting they are from their bank, the police or a government body, or requesting that you supply your bank account details such that they can transfer the money into your account. This is completely incorrect and as the Rural Payments Agency and Welsh Assembly Government make your payments direct into the bank account that has been nominated and will not ask you for your financial details.
If you have any concerns Rostons recommend you contact your bank as the first port of call.
For further information contact the Rostons office on 01829 773000